The Team Go Rocket Takeover Event is back, an in-game Pokemon Go that is centered around the game’s main antagonists, Team Go Rocket. This event is historically a fan-favorite, offering several desirable bonuses throughout its duration.
There will be many event-exclusive bonuses offered during this time period that you will want to take advantage of while you can, assumed to be unavailable in the future until this event returns next year.
Updated on March 20, 2023: It’s time for another Pokemon Go Team Rocket Takeover Event, offering new features and bonuses to those who participate. Read on to learn everything about this brief in-game event, including which new shadow Pokemon will be available and how to best handle the event to get the most out of this shadow event. This PoGo team rocket event will be taking place from Saturday, March 25, at 10 am local time to Wednesday, March 29, at 8 pm local time.
Event Research
Special Research Story
A brand-new Special Research Story will come with this year’s Team Go Rocket Takeover Event.
This Special Research Story will be centered around defeating members of Team Go Rocket, concluding with a battle against Giovanni, the Leader of Team Rocket.
After completing various tasks for this Special Research Story, you will obtain a Super Rocket Radar, a rare item required to initiate the battle with Giovanni.
This will give you the opportunity to encounter and catch Shadow Regice, a brand-new, powerful Shadow Legendary Pokemon.
You can obtain this Special Research Story until the end of the current Pokemon Go Season, Season Ten: Rising Heroes, which concludes on June 1, 2023, at 10 am local time.
Field Research
While this event is taking place, you can obtain Event Field Research Tasks, earned by spinning Photo Discs at different PokeStops.
Completing these Field Research Tasks will each earn you a Mysterious Component, an item used to assemble a Rocket Radar once you have acquired six.
Event Bonuses
There will be two different bonuses available to all players throughout the course of this event. First, it will be much easier to find and battle Team Go Rocket members during this event.
You can expect to encounter them more throughout this event, found in both Team Go Rocket Balloons and at various PokeStops.
With this bonus, obtaining Mysterious Components during this event will be far easier.
The second bonus will be the ability to use Charged TMs on Shadow Pokemon, used to replace the Charged Attack, Frustration.
You cannot do this outside this event, so make sure you’re taking advantage of this rare opportunity.
Shadow Pokemon are more powerful than their standard counterparts, but having the Charged Attack Frustration typically holds them back. Being able to replace this with the Pokemon’s standard Charged Attacks furthers their viability, making them top-tier choices for both PvE and PvP encounters.
New Shadow Pokemon
With this event will come a change in the Shadow Pokemon that are typically used by Team Go Rocket. After finding them, you can expect to see these new Pokemon as part of their team, followed by a chance to catch one of them.
Additionally, Team Go Rocket will be using Pokemon that have never been Shadow Pokemon before. Below you can find some of the new Shadow Pokemon that you can expect to see in these PvE encounters.
- Shadow Alolan Grimer
- Shadow Phanpy
- Shadow Treecko
- Shadow Torchic
- Shadow Drifloon
Eggs
There will be a change in the Pokemon that hatch from 12km Eggs during this event, only able to be obtained through the defeat of Team Go Rocket Leaders. Hatching these Eggs acquired during the Team Go Rocket Takeover Event will provide you with one of the following Pokemon.
- Larvitar
- Absol
- Salandit
- Sandile
- Scraggy
- Skrelp
- Pawniard
- Vullaby
- Deino
- Skorupi
- Pancham
